region (as they call it) of the air; which produceth dews and rains. And the experiment of turning water into ice, by fnow, nitre and falt, (whereof we fhall speak hereafter,) would be transferred to the turning of air into water. The fecond way is by compreffion; as in ftillatories, where the vapour is turned back upon it felf, by the encounter of the fides of the ftillatory; and in the dew upon the covers of boiling pots; and in the dew towards rain, upon marble and wainscot. But this is like to do no great effect; except it be upon vapours, and grofs air, that are already very near in degree to water. The third is that, which may be fearched into, but doth not yet appear; which is, by mingling of moist vapours with air; and trying if they will not bring a return of more water, than the water was at firft: for if fo, that increase is a verfion of the air: therefore put water into the bottom of a ftillatory, with the neb stopped; weigh the water firft; hang in the middle of the ftillatory a large fpunge; and fee what quantity of water you can crush out of it; and what it is more, or lefs, compared with the water spent ; for you must understand, that if any verfion can be wrought, it will be eafilieft done in small pores: and that is the reafon why we prefcribe a fpunge. The fourth way is probable alfo, though not appearing; which is, by receiving the air into the small pores of bodies: for (as hath been faid) every thing in fmall quantity is more eafy for verfion; and tangible bodies have no pleasure in the confort of air, but endeavour to fubact it into a more denfe body: but in entire bodies it is checked; because if the air fhould condense, there is nothing to fucceed therefore it must be in loose bodies, as fand, and powder; which we fee, if they lie close, of themselves gather moisture.

Experiment folitary touching helps towards the beauty and good features of

perfons.

28. It is reported by fome of the ancients; that whelps, or other creatures, if they be put young into fuch a cage or box, as they cannot rife to their ftature, but may increase in breadth or length, will grow accordingly, as they can get room which if it be true and feifible, and that the young creature fo preffed, and straightened, doth not thereupon die; it is a means to produce dwarf creatures, and in a very strange figure. This is certain, and noted long fince; that the preffure or forming of parts of creatures, when they are very young, doth alter the fhape not a little; as the ftroaking of the heads of infants, between the hands, was noted of old, to make Macrocephali; which fhape of the head, at that time, was esteemed. And the raifing gently of the bridge of the nofe, doth prevent the deformity of a faddle nofe. Which obfervation well weighed, may teach a means, to make the perfons of men and women, in many kinds, more comely, and better featured, than otherwise they would be; by the forming and fhaping of them in their infancy: as by ftroaking up the calves of the legs, to keep them from falling down too low; and by ftroaking up the forehead, to keep them from being low-foreheaded. And it is a common practice to fwathe infants, that they may grow more ftraight, and better shaped: and we fee young women, by wearing ftraight bodice, keep themfelves from being grofs and corpulent.

Experiment folitary touching the condensing of air in fuch fort as it may put on weight, and yield nourishment.

29. ONIONS, as they hang, will many of them fhoot forth; penny-royal; and fo will an herb called orpin; with which they

and fo will ufe in the

countrey,

countrey, to trim their houfes, binding it to a lath or stick, and fetting it against a wall. We fee it likewife, more especially, in the greater fempervive, which will put out branches, two or three years: but it is true, that commonly they wrap the root in a cloth befmeared with oil, and renew it once in half a year. The like is reported by fome of the ancients, of the ftalks of lilies. The caufe is; for that these plants have a ftrong, denfe, and fucculent moisture, which is not apt to exhale; and fo is able, from the old store, without drawing help from the earth, to fuffice the fprouting of the plant and this fprouting is chiefly in the late fpring, or early fummer; which are the times of putting forth. We fee alfo, that ftumps of trees, lying out of the ground, will put forth fprouts for a time. But it is a noble trial, and of very great confequence, to try whether these things, in the fprouting, do increase weight; which must be tried, by weighing them before they are hang'd up; and afterwards again, when they are sprouted. For if they encrease not in weight; then it is no more but this; that what they fend forth in the fprout, they lofe in fome other part: but if they gather weight, then it it magnale naturae; for it fheweth that air may be made fo to be condensed, as to be converted into a dense body; whereas the race and period of all things, here above the earth, is to extenuate and turn things to be more pneumatical and rare; and not to be retrograde, from pneumatical to that which is denfe. It fheweth also, that air can nourish; which is another great matter of confequence. Note, that to try this, the experiment of the femper-vive, must be made without oiling the cloth; for else, it may be, the plant receiveth nourishment from the oil.

Experiment folitary touching the commixture of flame and air, and the great force thereof.

30. FLAME and air do not mingle, except it be in an inftant; or in the vital fpirit of vegetables, and living creatures. In gun-powder, the force of it hath been afcribed to rarefaction of the earthy fubftance into flame; and thus far it is true: and then (forfooth) it is become another element; the form whereof occupieth more place; and fo, of neceffity, followeth a dilatation: and therefore, left two bodies fhould be in one place, there muft needs also follow an expulfion of the pellet; or blowing up of the mine. But these are crude and ignorant fpeculations. For flame, if there were nothing elfe, except it were in very great quantity, will be fuffocated with any hard body, fuch as a pellet is; or the barrel of a gun; fo as the flame would not expel the hard body; but the hard body would kill the flame, and not fuffer it to kindle, or fpread. But the caufe of this fo potent a motion, is the nitre, (which we call otherwife falt-petre;) which having in it a notable crude and windy spirit, first by the heat of the fire fuddenly dilateth it felf; (and we know that fimple air, being preternaturally attenuated by heat, will make it felf room, and break, and blow up that which refifteth it;) and fecondly, when the nitre hath dilated it felf, it bloweth abroad the flame, as an inward bellows. And therefore we see that brimftone, pitch, camphire, wild-fire, and divers other inflammable matters, though they burn cruelly, and are hard to quench, yet they make no fuch fiery wind, as gun-powder doth: and on the other fide, we fee that quick-filver, (which is a moft crude and watry body) heated, and pent in, hath the like force with gun-powder. As for living creatures, it is certain, their vital fpirits are a fubftance compounded of an airy and flamy matter; and though air and flame being free, will not well mingle; yet bound in by a body that hath fome fixing, they will. For that you

may best see in those two bodies, (which are their aliments,) water and oil; for they likewife will not well mingle of themselves; but in the bodies of plants, and living creatures, they will. It is no marvel therefore, that a fmall quantity of fpirits, in the cells of the brain and canals of the finews, are able to move the whole body, (which is of fo great mafs,) both with fo great force, as in wrestling, leaping; and with fo great fwiftnefs, as in playing divifion upon the lute. Such is the force of these two natures, air and flame, when they incorporate.

Experiment folitary touching the fecret nature of flame.

31. TARE a finall wax candle, and put it in a focket of brafs or iron i then fet it upright in a porringer full of spirit of wine, heated: then fet both the candle, and fpirit of wine, on fire, and you fhall fee the flame of the candle open it felf, and become four or five times bigger than otherwife it would have been; and appear in figure globular, and not in pyramis. You shall see also, that the inward flame of the candle keepeth colour, and doth not wax any whit blue towards the colour of the outward flame of the spirit of wine. This is a noble inftance; wherein two things are most remarkable: the one, that one flame within another quencheth not; but is a fixed body, and continueth as air and water do. And therefore flame would still ascend upwards in one greatnefs, if it were not quenched on the fides: and the greater the flame is at the bottom, the higher is the rife. The other, that flame doth not mingle with flame, as air doth with air, or water with water, but only remaineth contiguous; as it cometh to pass betwixt confifting bodies. It appeareth also, that the form of a pyramis in flame, which we ufually fee, is merely by accident, and that the air about, by quenching the fides of the flame, crusheth it, and extenuateth it into that form; for of it self it would be round; and therefore fmoak is in the figure of a pyramis reversed; for the air quencheth the flame, and receiveth the fmoak. Note alfo, that the flame of the candle, within the flame of the fpirit of wine, is troubled; and doth not only open and move upwards, but moveth waving, and to and fro: as if flame of its own nature (if it were not quenched,) would roll and turn, as well as move upwards. By all which it should feem, that the celeftial bodies, (most of them,) are true fires or flames, as the Stoicks held; more fine (perhaps) and rarified, than our flame is. For they are all globular and determinate; they have rotation; and they have the colour and splendour of flame: so that flame above is durable, and confiftent, and in its natural place; but with us it is a ftranger, and momentany, and impure; like Vulcan that halted with his fall.

Experiment folitary touching the different force of flame in the midst and on the fides.

32. TAKE an arrow, and hold it in flame, for the space of ten pulses, and when it cometh forth, you shall find thofe parts of the arrow, which were on the outsides of the flame, more burned, blacked, and turned almost into a coal, whereas that in the midst of the flame, will be, as if the fire had fcarce touched it. This is an inftance of great confequence for the discovery of the nature of flame; and fheweth manifeftly, that flame burneth more violently towards the fides, than in the midft: and which is more, that heat or fire is not violent or furious, but where it is checked and pent. And therefore the Peripateticks (howfoever their opinion of an element of fire above the air is justly exploded;) in that point they acquit themselves well: VOL. III.

B

for

for being oppofed, that if there were a fphere of fire, that encompafled the earth so near hand, it were impoffible but all things fhould be burnt up; they anfwer, that the pure elemental fire, in its own place, and not irritated, is but of a moderate heat.

Experiment folitary touching the decrease of the natural motion of gravity in great distance from the earth; or within fome depth of the earth.

33. Ir is affirmed conftantly by many, as an ufual experiment; that a lump of ore, in the bottom of a mine, will be tumbled and ftirred by two mens ftrength; which if you bring it to the top of the earth, will ask fix mens ftrength at the leaft to ftir it. It is a noble inftance, and is fit to be tried to the full: for it is very probable, that the motion of gravity worketh weakly, both far from the earth, and alfo within the earth: the former, because the appetite of union of dense bodies with the earth, in refpect of the distance, is more dull; the latter, because the body hath in part attained its nature, when it is fome depth in the earth. For as for the moving to a point or place (which was the opinion of the ancients) it is a mere vanity. Experiment folitary touching the contraction of bodies in bulk, by the mixture of the more liquid body with the more folid.

34. Ir is ftrange, how the ancients took up experiments upon credit, and yet did build great matters upon them. The obfervation of fome of the best of them, delivered confidently is, that a veffel filled with ashes, will receive the like quantity of water, that it would have done if it had been empty. But this is utterly untrue, for the water will not go in by a fifth part. And I fuppofe, that that fifth part is the difference of the lying clofe, or open, of the afhes; as we see that ashes alone, if they be hard preffed, will lie in lefs room: and fo the afhes with air between, lie loofer; and with water, clofer. For I have not yet found certainly, that the water it felf, by mixture of afhes, or duft, will shrink or draw into less room.

Experiment folitary touching the making vines more fruitful.

35. It is reported of credit, that if you lay good store of kernels of grapes about the root of a vine, it will make the vine come earlier and profper better. It may be tried with other kernels, laid about the root of a plant of the fame kind; as figs, kernels of apples, &c. The caufe may be, for that the ker nels draw out of the earth juice fit to nourish the tree, as those that would be trees of themselves, though there were no root; but the root being of greater ftrength, robbeth and devoureth the nourishment, when they have drawn it as great fishes devour little.

Experiments in confort touching purging medicines.

36. THE operation of purging medicines, and the caufes thereof, have been thought to be a great fecret; and fo according to the flothful manner of men, it is referred to a hidden propriety, a fpecifical virtue, and a fourth quality, and the like fhifts of ignorance. The caufes of purging are divers all plain and perfpicuous; and throughly maintained by experience. The first is, that whatsoever cannot be overcome and digefted by the stomach, is by the stomach either put up by vomit, or put down to the guts; and by that motion of expulfion in the ftomach and guts, other parts of the body, (as the orifices of the veins, and the like) are moved to expel by confent. For nothing is more frequent than motion of confent in the body of man.

This furcharge of the ftomach, is caufed either by the quality of the medicine, or by the quantity. The qualities are three: extreme bitter, as in aloes, coloquintida, &c. loathfome and of horrible taste, as in agarick, black hellebore, &c. and of fecret malignity, and difagreement towards man's body, many times not appearing much in the tafte; as in fcammony, mechoachan, antimony, &c. And note well, that if there be any medicine that purgeth, and hath neither of the first two manifeft qualities; it is to be held fufpected as a kind of poifon; for that it worketh either by corrofion, or by a fecret malignity, and enmity to nature: and therefore fuch medicines are warily to be prepared and used. The quantity of that which is taken, doth alfo cause purging; as we fee in a great quantity of new milk from the cow; yea and a great quantity of meat; for furfeits many times turn to purges, both upwards and downwards. Therefore we fee generally, that the working of purging medicines cometh two or three hours after the medicines taken; for that the ftomach firft maketh a proof, whether it can concoct them. And the like happeneth after furfeits, or milk in too great quantity.

37. A fecond caufe is mordication of the orifices of the parts; especially of the mefentery veins; as it is feen, that falt, or any fuch thing that is fharp and biting, put into the fundament, doth provoke the part to expel; and muftard provoketh fneezing: and any fharp thing to the eyes provoketh tears. And therefore we fee that almost all purgers have a kind of twitching and vellication, befides the griping which cometh of wind. And if this mordication be in an over-high degree, it is little better than the corrosion of poison; as it cometh to pass fometimes in antimony, especially if it be given to bodies not replete with humours; for where humours abound, the humours fave the parts.

38. THE third cause is attraction: for I do not deny, but that purging medicines have in them a direct force of attraction; as drawing plaifters have in furgery: and we fee fage, or betony bruifed, fneezing powder, and other powders or liquors (which the phyficians call errbines,) put into the nofe draw phlegm and water from the head; and fo it is in apophlegmatifms and gargarifms, that draw the rheum down by the palate. And by this virtue, no doubt, fome purgers draw more one humour, and fome another, according to the opinion received: as rhubarb draweth choler; fena melancholy; agarick phlegm, &c. but yet (more or less) they draw promifcuously. And note alfo, that befides fympathy between the purger and the humour, there is also another caufe, why fome medicines draw fome humour more than another. And it is, for that fome medicines work quicker than others: they that draw quick, draw only the lighter and more fluid humours; and they that draw flow, work upon the more tough and viscous humours. therefore men must beware how they take rhubarb, and the like, alone familiarly; for it taketh only the lighteft part of the humour away, and leaveth the mafs of humours more obftinate. And the like may be faid of wormwood, which is so much magnified.

And

39. THE fourth caufe is flatuofity; for wind stirred moveth to expel: and we find that (in effect) all purgers have in them a raw fpirit, or wind; which is the principal caufe of tortion in the ftomach and belly. And therefore purgers lofe (most of them) the virtue, by decoction upon the fire; and for that caufe are given chiefly in infufion, juice, or powder.

40. THE fifth caufe is compreffion, or crufhing: as when water is crufhed out of a fpunge: fo we fee that taking cold moveth looseness by contraction of the fkin and outward parts; and fo doth cold likewise cause rheums and VOL. III.

B 2

defluxions